Encyclia rommeliana (Laeliinae, Epidendroideae, Orchidaceae), a new species from Chiapas, Mexico

Abstract

Encyclia rommeliana (Orchidaceae), a new species from the state of Chiapas, Mexico, is described and illustrated. This new taxon belongs to the Encyclia candollei group, a complex also composed of E. candollei, E. calderoniae, and E. incumbens, from which the new taxon is distinguished by possessing a broad labellum with reddish veins in the throat. To date E. rommeliana is considered a micro-endemic of Chiapas and is characterized by having two (rarely one) leaves per pseudobulb and paniculate inflorescences up to 100 cm in length, which can develop secondary branches at the basal nodes. It inhabits oak forests in the Los Altos region of Chiapas, at an elevation close to 980 m a.s.l., and its flowering period occurs between April and May. A dichotomous key for the identification of the species comprising the Encyclia candollei group is included.